Comcast, Fox reach new terms on TV distribution

By Bob Fernandez, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: February 14, 2013

More than a month after their previous TV-distribution agreement expired, Comcast Corp. and News Corp. reached new terms that keeps Glee, Sons of Anarchy, The Simpsons, Bones, and other Fox entertainment on Xfinity through 2020.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Philadelphia-based Comcast said Tuesday that it has agreed to launch a new national sports channel, to be called Fox Sports One, to its 22 million TV customers as part of the deal.

Fox Sports One reportedly will replace Fox's Speed cable channel, which is distributed to more than 80 million homes, later this year.

Fox has spent billions of dollars acquiring the TV rights to college football and major-league baseball games as content for cable channels and broadcast TV stations.

Fox News was not part of the new distribution deal, though Comcast says it negotiated new-media rights that allow streaming of Fox News onto non-TV devices to bolster its "TV Everywhere" initiative.

Fox's agreement with the pay-TV distributor - the prior one expired in early January - was announced one day before Comcast is to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings in a Wednesday conference call with analysts.

Comcast has now reached distribution agreements with CBS, the Walt Disney Co. and NBCUniversal.

"This agreement will bring Fox's brands and content to Xfinity TV customers on all platforms, and we are excited to begin this journey with Comcast," said Mike Hopkins, president of distribution for Fox Networks.

Comcast's Khoury said: "This multiplatform agreement includes extensive new media rights, including full current seasons of top Fox shows On Demand."